Success Stories – Joey Short

This is the motto of the school that forever changed our son’s life. This is the very same motto that grabbed our attention when we were trying to find the very best place for our son to go to school. We knew that our son needed specialized instruction, but we were hesitant to place him in a “special” school. We had always heard good things about Concord Academy, but it was not until we toured the school that we got a real glimpse of the true jewel it is.

It was a truly hard decision to make for him, but it was THE best thing that we have ever done for him.

We ultimately chose Concord for the personal education that was afforded to him, the administration, and the staff’s ability to see each and every child’s potential. If we were not convinced after all of these factors to enroll him at Concord, our decision was made after our son asked us to go here after his drop in day. He met friends on the very first day, bonded with a couple of teachers he interacted with, and walked out of the school with a huge smile on his face. Concord gives our son a “typical” education and social opportunities for him to thrive. He is building life long skills to take him on a successful journey after he graduates.

Since he has been at Concord, he has been accepted for the child that he is…a funny, hard working, outgoing child who just happens to have Asperger’s Syndrome. He has friends that relate to him and accept him for who he is. He never experienced true friendships while he was at the other schools that he previously attended.

Educationally, Concord has strived to make him excel, and he is. He is taught things in a manner that he can understand, and he retains it. The faculty and staff are wonderful. They all understand how to provide the social and academic needs of all of the students. They show sensitivity, balance, and extraordinary patience which allows the children to grow in both of these areas. As the parents of a child who attends Concord, we are fully vested. What I mean by this is that we take our child’s educational needs as seriously as all of the staff that is employed there. We are ALL part of the same team as it regards to our child. The faculty and administration is totally in tune with what our son requires, what he can really achieve, and we all push him to meet his goals. We never experienced this commitment at any of the other private schools that he previously attended.

The best way for me to explain the magnitude of Concord and what effect it has had on our son is to share this from this past school year. A parent that was recently touring Concord stopped and asked our son what he thought about being a student at Concord. His response was, “it’s the only place where I really felt like I belonged.”